I'll Worship You Forever
by the1koolkitty
Summary: Sequel to Love in Blind Eyes. After 5 centuries, Sahara's brokenhearted without her Pharaoh lover, but when she finds out he's alive, she seeks him out as a mortal to try and renew their love for the better...but Atem doesn't remember her at all. ON HOLD
1. Prologue

**I'll Worship You Forever**

**By the1koolkitty**

* * *

**_Note from Kitty:_**

_This is the sequel to "Love in Blind Eyes." Sadly, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor Yami's hot body, but I DO own Sahara, Taro and Khayer. I really hope you enjoy it...but even if you don't, I like to receive reviews. Oh, and before I start, I'd like to thank my "editor" and online friend Claire (a.k.a. SGCred) for looking through the prologue, for reviewing my stories loyally, and for writing Shy But Sweet Wanting with me and Yugi in it! Luv ya, girl! (winks)_

* * *

**Prologue**

POV: Sahara

I appeared again in the palace I had first visited with my brother when I found out about myself being a goddess.

Khayer smirked at my parents on their thrones as Horus appeared next to Father.

"Your daughter, as promised," he sneered, "Property to the God world for all eternity."

I glared at Khayer as I pulled my wrist out of his grip, and slapped him full across the face.

Khayer was shocked and furious as he felt the bruise on his cheek. Father and Mother were horrified. Horus was the only one who seemed to have a touch of pride in his eyes.

"_That's_ what I think of you and your father's stupid plot," I spat, "I hope you're satisfied with causing both Atem and me pain, because that's the only bit of comfort that could protect you from me, Khayer...I'll make sure the rest of your immortality is a living hell."

And with that, I ran.

I didn't quite know where I was running to, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from Khayer...from my parent's reactions...from everything...

I stopped at the end of a hallway and sat down, my back against the wall.

I sighed. What I wouldn't _give_ for me to just run back into Atem's arms again...

"Atem..." I whispered as a tear fell down my cheek.

I remembered his last few words to me.

"I'll worship you forever, beautiful, holy Sahara..." I found my lips mouth out his pledge of love to myself.

I closed my eyes, and made my own pledge.

"_**I shall find you again, my love...my Atem..."**_

* * *

**_Dream_**

POV: Atem

_I saw her..._

_My love...my dear Sahara..._

_She looked at me, and her blue eyes widened in hope. "Atem..."_

_I ran over to her, and held her tight. _

"_Oh, Sahara..." I whispered, "You're safe...you're back..."_

_It was then that I suddenly felt myself whammed backward. I was chained to a metal wall, and behind Sahara was Khayer. He held onto her wrist tightly...possessively._

"_Our fathers had an agreement," he whispered._

_Sahara struggled against him. "Let me go!"_

"_Never," Khayer hissed, "Now come with me, cousin, your parents are waiting..."_

"_NO!" Sahara yelled, trying to pull away, "ATEM! ATEM!"_

_Khayer started to pull her out of the room. He waved his hand at me before shutting the door behind him. Instantly, I found myself surrounded by poisonous cobras._

"_Go to Ammut, Pharaoh Atem!" Khayer yelled through the barred window on the door, "Then you'll no longer be in my way!"_

"_ATEM!" I heard Sahara scream, "ATEM! NO!"_

_Her screams continued as I heard Khayer pull her farther and farther away from the door._

"_SAHARA!" I yelled, "SAHARA-"_

_My yells only stopped when fangs came in contact with my neck..._

**_Real_**

I awoke with a start.

"Sahara..." I whispered, rubbing my neck gingerly where one of the dreamed cobras had bitten me.

I envisioned my goddess love once more, only to feel my heart ache as it had so many times before.

"Sahara..."

It was strange...I'd known sadness, but never anything like this. I could almost feel the brokenness of both me and her...I could feel her own silent tears run down my cheeks.

"I'll worship you forever, beautiful, holy Sahara..."

I repeated my pledge to her softly. It was one of the last things I had ever told her...and I intend to live up to my promise.

I will find her again...Even if it takes ten lifetimes, I will find my dear Sahara...I'll show her how much I love her...and I'll make sure Khayer never lays a finger on her again...

I closed my eyes.

"_**I'll worship you forever, beautiful, holy Sahara..."**_

* * *


	2. Chapter One: Back to the Mortal World

**Reviews:**

**_Mystic Chaos: _**Believe me, it's exhausting. As you have seen, I'm struggling to trash or keep fics a lot lately...I barely know how I did it before... (sighs)

_**SGCred:** _Ah, my lovely editor and friend! Nice to hear from you. And Yugi's always really sweet to me unless he has to be a pervert or something to scare off the mutant stalkers. (grins evilly)

**_ANAYAS CREATER: _**It does. That was just the Prologue from the past to catch people up just a tiny bit. (sweatdrop)

* * *

**Chapter One: Back to the Mortal World**

_**The God World: Sahara's Room**_

**POV: Sahara**

I woke up this morning, again dreaming my same dream: my and Atem's last precious meeting...when I told him I loved him...and yet, for once in all my dreams, I lived through it up to the part where we kissed, instead of to the part where Khayer took me away...and was it just me that Atem seemed closer than he ever had before?

I sighed. It's been five centuries since then, and I know Atem must be gone...but my heart will never heal.

My door opened, and my older brother walked in.

"Are you alright, Suzu?" Horus asked me.

Even Horus couldn't stop calling me that. It had been my mortal name, and he had grown up knowing me as Suzu...then again, so did Atem.

I nodded mutely as Horus sat down next to me on my bed.

"Let me guess...that same nightmare with Atem and you?"

Horus held me close, and I breathed deeply to stop myself from crying thanks to the constant aching and emptiness in my broken heart.

"You should move on, Suzu," he said consolingly, "Atem's...not _alive_ anymore...you need to put this behind you."

"I know you are right," I whispered, "It's just...so hard to say goodbye...time for gods is so short...yet I know that Atem must be gone..."

Horus kissed my forehead. "Love can cause much happiness for some...but for most, it is also very painful."

I nodded, thinking of Seito and his old love. I never even knew what happened with them...but whatever it was, it was painful, and I knew pain quite well.

Horus looked at me a little less seriously. "By the way...Khayer told me about little demons haunting him in the bathroom...what's _that_ about?"

"I must have made them in my sleep..." I said quietly, "I guess the whole _'bogeyman scaring children'_ thing got to me, and I conjured them in my sleep to haunt the man I despise above all else..."

Horus laughed. "And I thought you were supposed to _help_ children..."

"I _do_," I argued, "I teach them to make friends with the monsters so the monsters can scare _other_ kids..."

Horus shook his head in amusement. "Now, now, sister...be careful. You don't want Father to get angry at you."

"No you don't."

I glared at the doorway.

"Go away, Khayer," I snapped.

Khayer smirked at me. "Now, now, Sahara, I'm still your cousin."

"I can barely believe that your bastardness is in my genes...guess it only affected _one_ side of our father's family."

Khayer glared at my retort.

"Careful," he hissed, "I, unlike you, have the power to kill and torture, as that is what I _rule_. I may not be able to kill _you_, but I think having mortal Egyptologists dig up your dear lover's mummy might suit my ends...he is, after all, a _nuisance_ in getting what I want from you..."

My eyes widened in fury and I flexed my cat claws, but Horus stepped in.

"Stop it, Khayer," he said, "You have no excuse to punish Suzu for a broken heart. _She_, however, has every reason to hate you, after that plot of you and your father's..."

"Whatever," Khayer said smoothly, "I'm still going to make sure my _fiancée_ is in line."

I glared at him. Seth had called upon his fake fiancée contract recently, saying that I was going to marry his son, which would put me completely in his control. My father Osirus was still trying to combat this contract, but with no success.

"I'm not your fiancée, and I never _will_ be!" I snapped, "I love Atem!"

"You love a dead man," Khayer whispered, "That will get you _nowhere_."

And with that, he left the room.

I hissed like a cat. "Son of a b-"

"Watch your language, Suzu," Horus interrupted, "You know how it annoys Mother."

I sighed. "Whatever."

Horus stood up. "I'll leave you to get dressed. See you in the dining room, okay?"

I nodded as I watched him close the door behind me. I then ran over to the corner of my room to look in my closet.

Every so often, Mother would get me the new fashions from the each century, which was interesting, to say the very least. I looked at the corner of my closet to see some old poodle skirts I never liked, before pushing them aside to find my old stash of tie-die shirts and stone-washed jeans.

I put on my clothes, and as I styled my hair into a loose bun, a face appeared in my long mirror that was not my own.

"Hello, Leila," I said.

The face had flowing bottle green hair, simple violet eyes, and painted red lips.

"Anything about Khayer I should know about?" I asked, my cat ears perking up in interest.

Leila was always my main source of information to hurt and torture Khayer...not a surprise, Horus was the one who brought her to me.

"No," Leila said, and for once in my memory, she sounded a little excited. Usually she was very bored and pessimistic, much like I was.

"You sound like you're in a good mood," I noted, "Why? If it's not Khayer, then it must be something _really_ good..."

"It is, honey," Leila said with a grin, "You know that Atem kid you keep talking about?" 

I frowned, and looked down at my shoes. "Yeah."

"Well, guess what? HE'S ALIVE!"

My head rocketed upward so fast, I would've thought my neck would snap in half.

"_WHAT_?"

"He _is_!" Leila said, "I _saw_ him! On the street and everything!"

I froze. It _couldn't_ be...Atem...he was _dead_...he was buried and everything...

But I had sensed he was closer than before... 

"Are...are you _sure_?" I whispered.

"Positive," Leila replied, "See for yourself."

In Leila's mirror appeared two boys laughing and chatting. One was blond with brown, puppy-like eyes that reminded me very strongly of Jou, and the other had pointy tri-colored hair with flashing scarlet eyes, and around his neck on a silver chain was an upside-down gold pyramid...just like Atem's...

My eyes widened. "Atem...it _is_ him..."

I was quiet for a moment, before whispering some words under my breath.

"_I am a Goddess, blessed by some,_

_But now a mortal I'll become,_

_For circumstances yet unknown,_

_One human form you'll need to loan_

_Me to complete a simple task,_

_So give it to me: a human mask!"_

Magic swirled around me, and after five thousand years, I found myself in my mortal form. My white cat ears, fur and tail were gone, but my brown hair and blue eyes still stood out.

"What are you going to do?" Leila asked anxiously.

"To Ammut with that contract between my father and Seth," I whispered, "I need to see Atem again...I need to..."

"Wait!" Leila tried to stop me, "You can't, he-"

But I disappeared from my room before I could hear the rest of what I assumed was a lecture.

POV: Leila 

I sighed sadly as I watched the place where Sahara had stood.

That poor lovesick soul...there's no hope for her...

Atem doesn't even remember her.


	3. Chapter Two: Hippie Girl?

**Reviews:**

_mariks1andonly: Thank you for your support. (grins) And happy belated Halloween to you too!_

_ANAYAS-CREATER- Certainly! _

_SGCred- Don't worry, I got it, I just haven't been able to email you in a while. (smiles) It's really good! And Yugi wanted me to add that he can't wait until the stork comes in your story, if you know what I mean. (winks)_

_MysticChaos- Yeah, poor Suzu, ne? (cries) I feel so heartless by doing this to my chars like this..._

_Rainbow Guardian Angel- Don't we all, girl? (grins evilly) Khayer shall most definitely suffer for his crimes. And you can decide what her parents thought, I guess. (sweatdrop) Yeah, Khayer's job is to an inbecile, but there is more to it, whether you were thinking there was or not. (winks) And Sahara didn't know Atem was alive until right then when Leila told her._

_RobinIV- Then you will like this chapter! (smiles) And more Atem-Sahara stuff will happen in the next chapter. _

_ice suzaku- Only three fics to update sounds great to me, but I think the most I'd be able to trash are three, which leaves me with five. (cries) Ah, well. (grins) My creativity overwhelms me at times. And I'll update again soon._

* * *

**Chapter Two: "Hippie Girl"?**

Domino, Japan: Burger World Restaurant

POV: Yami Yugi (a.k.a. Atem)

"Yami...Yami. YAMI!"

"Huh?"

I looked up at Joey, who had been waving his hand in front of my face for the last few seconds.

"You in there, buddy?" Joey asked, "You kinda drifted off..._again_."

I blushed. "Sorry, Joey...I can't help it...I've been getting these weird dreams at night and they've seemed to stay with me..."

"What are they about?" my blond friend asked.

"Well...there's a girl..."

"Ooh!" Joey grinned goofily, "Looks like you were quite the ladies' man in Egypt..."

"Shut up!" I snapped playfully.

Joey laughed. "Sorry, bud. Go on."

"This girl...she's like a cat, almost, she's got white fur and ears like one...Anyway, I see her, and I keep hearing this name over and over again, _'Atem.' _It must be _her_ voice, and she seems to be _calling_ for someone... Then I find myself in a tomb, and all on the walls are pictures of me with another girl with brown hair and blue eyes...I seem to be _teaching_ this girl something...I hear this name, _'Suzu.'_ Then the name slowly starts to sound like, _'Sahara,' _like the desert, you know? I hear the female voice say, _'I shall find you again...' _And I find myself say words in return, _'I'll worship you forever...' _And then I wake up."

Joey frowned. "Whoa...major."

"What do you make of it?" I asked.

"Probably a memory of Egypt," Joey said.

I anime-fell out of my seat.

"Of _course_!" I snapped, "What else would I have dreamed about?"

Joey sweatdropped. "Good point."

"Hey, hippie girl, what's your problem?" I suddenly heard a voice say, "I just wanna play!"

My ears perked up, and Joey looked up also.

"I think that's Slim Duman," he told me.

"The Head of the Football team?" I asked, remembering what Yugi had told me about him, "Doesn't he pick on girls randomly or something?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

He frowned as he tried to see where Slim's voice was coming from. "I wonder who he's picking on..."

"I-I don't want any trouble," a female voice attempted to sound confident, "I have to go home."

That voice...I'd _heard_ that voice somewhere before...

_/Yugi?/_ I asked through our mind link, _/Is that a classmate of yours?/_

_No,_ Yugi replied.

"Oh, I think you can _wait_," Slim chuckled, "Just a few minutes, that's all I ask..."

I felt furious for a reason I could not name. How dare he threaten that girl like that!

"I don't want any trouble," the girl repeated, "Just get out of my way!"

"Oh, I think you're in _my_ way," Slim said in amusement, "And I don't want you out of it."

Joey and I looked at each other very quickly, nodded, and then started to follow the voices down into a dead-end ally.

Slim was blocking her from our line of vision, but the girl he was hurting was obviously around Yugi's age.

"Hey, Slim!" Joey called, "I would've thought you'd get a girlfriend already and stop picking on girls you don't know!"

Slim turned around and smirked at Joey.

"I'm trying to make one right here," he said coolly, "But my hippie girl is a little skittish."

"I'm not your _girl_!" the girl yelled, trying to pull her wrist out of his grip, "Let me go!"

I saw she had long brown hair and was wearing a tie-die shirt and jeans (hence the nickname of "hippie girl"), but her face was still in shadow.

"Not until we've had some fun," Slim laughed.

My eyes narrowed, and I stepped in front of Joey.

"Let her go," I whispered coldly.

_Yami, what are you going to do?_ Yugi asked nervously.

_/Anything I need to in order to get this loser away from that girl,/_ I snarled back.

_Be careful, Yami, _Yugi warned me.

Slim smirked. "Do you think you _scare_ me, Mutou?"

"Maybe not _now_, but I will," I hissed.

Slim laughed. "You're kind of funny, Mutou! _You_...scaring _me_?" He laughed again at the thought.

"Well then, let's see how _funny_ I really am..." I said quietly, "We're going to play a game. We will stay here until we finish, no fists involved, and winner is able to leave here when we wish with the girl."

"Why should I play a game against _you_?" Slim demanded.

"You want me and Joey to leave you alone, don't you?" I asked in response.

Slim looked suspicious for a minute, and then he laughed.

"Piece of cake!" he said, "Any game is fine with me!"

"Alright, then," I whispered as I shuffled my Duel Monsters deck, "To save us _both_ time, we'll each choose one card randomly from my deck. The one with the highest ranked monster wins."

"Fine, I'm game," Slim said as he took a card from the top of my deck, "I got Alpha the Magnet Warrior."

I smirked, before drawing my card. "Dark Magician Girl. I win."

Slim laughed. "And what do _I_ care?"

He tried to punch me, but I dodged it easily.

"You don't seem to like _rules_," I whispered, "Let me teach you what happens to cheaters when they play against _me_."

My Millennium Puzzle glowed, and Slim disappeared in purple magic and a single scream.

Joey looked at me. "That...was _really_ creepy, man."

I smiled at him, before approaching the girl. "Are you alright?"

The girl looked up at me, and I finally saw her face.

She was definitely pretty: not beautiful, per say, but pretty. Her eyes shone a blue darker than Kaiba's, and she had a certain aura of innocence about her, and it reflected well when she said,

"Yes. Thank you for saving me from him."

"No problem," Joey answered for me as I helped her up, "Slim's a jerk, he doesn't deserve to be doing things like that to anyone."

"I'll have to agree with you," the girl replied as she brushed herself off, "He _was_ quite rude."

I couldn't help but look at her. I wasn't staring, but I was trying to put two-and-two together: she sounded familiar AND looked familiar...but who was she?

"Oh, I'm Joey," Joey introduced himself, "And this here's Yugi."

"My name is Suzanna," the girl said quietly, "I just arrived here, but I'm going to have to leave soon, so if you will excuse me..."

"Why are you leaving?" I asked.

"I...I just came here from Egypt," the girl said, sounding kind of sad, "Looking for my cousin...but he's not here, so I'll have to go back home...to a lecture or two, I suppose."

"Your parents didn't want you to come here or something?" asked Joey.

"Not really," Suzanna admitted, "But it wasn't mainly them...I'd rather not go into it, it's a long story and I rarely mention it to anyone..."

"Well, maybe if you stay here a little longer, your 'rents will cool off a little before you come home," Joey suggested.

"I couldn't," Suzanna said glumly, "Japan's beautiful and all, but with my cousin gone, I wouldn't have anywhere to stay."

I don't know what made me do it, but as soon as I heard those words, I said,

"Not to worry. You can stay at my house."

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Really? You mean it?"

_/Is that alright, Yugi?/_ I asked him.

_Sure! _Yugi said sweetly, _/Why not? She might know stuff about your past._

I nodded inwardly. Maybe she did...she _was_ from Egypt...

"It'd be my pleasure," I replied, "C'mon, it's not far..."


	4. Chapter Three: A Rose by Another Name

**Chapter Three: A Rose By Another Name**

POV: Sahara (a.k.a. Suzanna) 

As soon as I realized Atem didn't remember me, I was prepared to leave for home as to cry every last trace of a tear I had in me. But now Atem…I mean Yami…or Yugi…oh whatever… is inviting me into his own _house_! I don't know if I should feel upset or pleased.

Obviously, I'll be seeing him again after so long…but he doesn't even remember me…what if he's _different_ now? What if he _hates_ me? What if…?

But even if you forget all the what if's, I still don't know how I'll be able to stand him not remembering our love when I _do_! Should I tell him? Maybe if I tell him, he'll understand…

I mentally shook my head. He still wouldn't understand completely how much I love him and how much he loved me. Besides, I would never want to manipulate him due to my own heartache.

"You okay, girl?"

I jumped out of my fantasy and looked up at Joey.

I smiled. "Yes. I…I just spaced out a minute. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Atem said in a very royally charming tone.

"Yeah, Yugi here spaces out all the time," Joey added with a goofy grin, "Once he spaced out in the middle of a movie, and I practically had to dump the bag of popcorn on him for him to realize it was over."

I tried not to laugh as Atem sweatdropped, and whacked Joey upside the head.

"Thank you, Joey, for embarrassing me most profoundly," Atem snapped.

"You're welcome," Joey said sarcastically.

Atem's cheeks were red, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I think it's a cute story," I said shyly.

Atem looked slightly surprised, but smiled back. "If you say so. C'mon…let's get to the Game Shop, the weather's changing."

The wind blew hard, and I suddenly saw what he meant. Odd…there hadn't been any wind before…

POV: Yami 

Suzanna and I walked toward the Game Shop, and I snuck a glance at her every so often.

I wish I knew why she looks so familiar to me…

_/Are you sure you don't just think she's pretty?/_ asked Yugi.

I glared inwardly.

_/I'm serious!/_ I snapped, _/I know I've seen her before!/_

I felt Yugi's slight guilt. _/Sorry. I was just wondering…I mean, it'd be nice if you found a girl…/_

_/Oh, shut up…!/ _

Suddenly, I felt something solid collide with my head.

"Yugi!"

Stars winked in front of my eyes as I held my head. Suzanna rushed over.

She pushed my hand away so she could feel my face for bruises. "Are you okay, Yugi?"

_/Note to Yami,/_ Yugi said in a teasing tone, _/Watch out for lampposts when you're walking and talking through the mind link at the same time./_

"I…I'm fine…" I stammered, trying hard not to blush at the sudden contact.

Suzanna relaxed when she found that I wasn't hurt. And then, to my surprise, she began to laugh.

"What's…what's so funny?" I asked her.

Suzanna bit her lip. "You just saved my life…are you really trying to get me to return the favor that fast?"

I blinked as she continued to laugh. Then I found myself smile, and despite it all, I began to laugh too. We both laughed at the situation for a while (Ra, I don't even know how long), before finally calming down and smiling at each other.

"C'mon," I said, "Let's keep going."

Suzanna nodded.

"Just don't run into any more lampposts," she joked.

We continued walking silently for a few minutes. The silence was making me feel awkward and uncomfortable. I needed to talk to her…

"Suzanna?" I said.

"Hmm?" Suzanna replied, "What is it, Yugi?"

"Um…" I tried to think of a good beginning.

_/Yugi, what should I say?/ _

_/Ask her about her home!/_ Yugi advised.

"Do you…do you like living in Egypt?"

"I suppose," she replied shyly, "It should be everything anyone would ever want…but…"

"But what?" I asked.

"Nothing," Suzanna said quickly.

"I know it's not nothing," I said seriously, "What's wrong?"

"My cousin's…a little controlling sometimes, that's all," Suzanna whispered.

"Your cousin?" I repeated, my eyes narrowing.

"Yes," she replied, "My cousin's older than me and… Well, you see, my parents aren't always there…and my cousin…he sometimes makes me do things I don't want to do…"

I could tell she felt awkward, so I tried a new tactic.

"Do you know anything about Egypt…in the time of the Pharaohs?"

Suzanna looked at me in slight surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh…well, I…"

_/Should I tell her, Hikari?/_ I asked.

_/Go ahead,/_ Yugi replied.

I took a deep breath.

"I…I'm not really called Yugi. My name is Yami…well, at least that's what everyone calls me, I don't know my real name. I live in this," I held up the Millennium Puzzle, "I was a spirit from Ancient Egypt…but I don't remember anything about my life back then. People have been talking about me being a Pharaoh and stealing my 'power,' but I don't know exactly what they mean. I just thought…since you're from Egypt, you might…"

I bit my lip. She probably thought I sounded silly.

Suzanna, however, didn't look surprised or freaked out at all. In fact, she looked rather mellow.

"I understand," she said, "And no, I don't know any knowledge I have that might help you… but I could help you look."

She looked at me with hopeful eyes. I smiled.

"Sure. But for now, let's get some sleep."

POV: Sahara 

We went into the Game shop, and I felt my heart soar.

What if I actually could help Atem remember?


	5. Chapter Four: Of Shame and Confusion

_**Reviews from the Peanut Gallery:**_

_**ice suzaku:** Well, it did take me a while... (sweatdrop) But I finally have updated, so think of it as me being your genie and granting your wish!_

_**SukiLovesAnime:** I'm very glad you like it! It's always nice to hear such kind feedback._

_**RobinIV:**Thanks. Yeah, I kind of liked doing that to Atem-kun, even though he's my boyfriend's Yami. I mean, how many Pharaohs have YOU been able to see walk into a lamppost? (wink)_

_**ANAYAS-CREATOR:** Unfortunately, no. (pouts) Kara was NOT pleased._

_**SGCred:** No, I'm not appearing in this one. I thought I better leave Sahara and Atem to their own thing. Besides, it might make some difficulties either weaving Sahara into the other stories or keeping the stories distinctly apart. And love always wins!_

_**shadowfox313:** Thank you so much! I read your reviewright when I was feeling down, and you really cheered me up. (glomps you)_

_**Rainbow Guardian Angel:** Ah, the joys of embarassing a Pharaoh...and sorry, Mizumi, but Sahara WAS Atem's ancient love...and I'll just assume you two are going to get right mad at who tries to "steal" Atem in this chappie._

_**Mystic Chaos:** You're right, but thanks. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one better._

_**Shantina and Tochi Enterprizes:** I SHALL, I SHALL, I SHALL! (lol) _

_**exoticprincesses:** PLEASE don't jump! Here's your chappie! And I'm glad you liked the beginning._

_**olifantje-emma:** Sure, even though it wasn't exactly "soon"...thanks for the support!**

* * *

**_

**Chapter Four: Of Shame and Confusion**

**(((The Next Day)))**

POV: Sahara

Yami and I went to town the next day to meet some friends of his in town. I had my first good look around this city, and was quite impressed by what I saw. The shops were filled with trinkets and treasures galore, and I couldn't help but look into all of them.

Finally, we stopped at a pizza place, and at a table outside were Joey, as well as two girls and another boy.

One of the girls there had a very sweet aspect to her and had long auburn hair and puppy-like brown eyes, and the other was the height of fashion, with long blond hair and dynamic purple eyes. The guy accompanying them had pointy brown hair and plain brown eyes, with a street-wise aura similar to Joey.

"Hey, Yami, over here!" Joey beckoned us over.

Yami and I sat down between Joey and the auburn-haired girl, and helped ourselves to the large pepperoni pizza put in the center.

"Y'all, this is Suzanna," Joey introduced me quickly, "She's stayin' with Yami at the Game Shop until she goes home to Egypt."

"Egypt, huh?" asked the blond girl, "Do I detect a hidden reason you invited her, Yami?"

Yami scowled at her, and I smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I said.

"Same here," said the redhead, "I'm Serenity…I'm Joey's sister."

"I'm Mai," said the blond.

"And I'm Tristan," said the boy, "First question: are you single? Second question: Are you looking…? OW!"

Both Yami and Joey had whacked him in the back of the head. I covered both hands over my mouth to try and stop myself from laughing.

"Yes and no," I told him.

"Huh?"

"Yes and no," I repeated,"I don't have a boyfriend, but I'm not looking. Sorry."

Tristan looked disappointed only for a moment, and then grinned. "Okay, just curious."

"So…what are we going to do today?" asked Joey.

"Go to the mall?" asked Mai immediately.

"NO," Yami and Joey said together.

"Go to the arcade?" asked Serenity.

"We did that yesterday, though," muttered Tristan.

"Let's let Suzanna decide, since she's our guest," Yami hinted.

"Yeah," agreed Joey, "Whatcha want to do, Suzanna?"

I blinked. "Uh…"

The others were all looking at me.

"Uh…maybe…maybe we could go see a movie or something?"

"Hey, there's an idea," said Tristan.

Joey grinned. "Alright then, onto the movies!"

* * *

POV: Yami

When we got to the movie theatre, we saw a long list of movies to watch, and we couldn't agree on any of them. Joey and Tristan wanted to see "Battle of the Androids: Part 3", but Mai protested that she left the movie theatre in the first fifteen minutes of the first one for the movie's quality. Then again, her and Serenity's choice, "Perfect Match" didn't seem very appealing either.

But when Suzanna pointed out another, we all were down for it. It was called "The Prince of Egypt," and Mai said she heard it got good reviews.

We all sat down in the movie theatre together toward the front. Joey was juggling popcorn, candy and drinks for the five of us, and we were only got all we ordered just as the movie was going to start.

There was slow, slightly mournful music toward the beginning, and I shot a side look at Suzanna. She looked oddly hopeful, as if she was hoping this movie would achieve something of great importance.

As I thought this, she noticed I was looking at her. I blushed slightly (thank Ra the lights were dimmed), but I caught her sweet smile.

It was then that sand flew around the screen, and the next thing I knew, we were watching slaves labor in the fields, with Egyptian overseers yelling orders and cracking whips. And a strange, Hebrew song played as we watched them…

This was the story of Exodus.

POV: Sahara

My eyes widened in complete and utter horror. I didn't know this was about the Hebrew uprising!

I looked quickly at Yami. He looked shocked too. I think everyone was.

I felt awful as his crimson eyes darted across the screen.

How could I _do_ this to him? How could I force him to watch _this_? I thought something with Egypt might help him remember, but this won't do anything but hurt him!

I blinked back tears of embarrassment and shame.

I'm hurting the man I love, and thanks to my foolishness my feelings shall always be a hidden secret. He'll never have a clue I love him, for all he'll remember of me is the pain of watching his people kill and torture!

I blindly ran out of the theatre. I didn't care where I was going…I just wanted to get away.

I ran into the girls' bathroom and collapsed near the sink.

I look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were already red, but I didn't care. I bowed my head on the counter, and I let myself cry silently. What in the seven hells have I done?

"Suzanna? Girl, you in here?"

I turned as Mai ran in.

"You okay?"

I bowed my head as the tears left my cheeks.

I felt arms encircle me. Mai held me close as I cried.

"Shh…there, there, honey, it's okay…"

I looked up at her. "No it isn't...Yami-"

"Was worried about you," Mai finished for me, "He was really worried…but I told him I'd talk to you."

"But…but…"

"Look, honey," Mai said bluntly, "We all know you were trying to thank Yami for everything he's done for you…and I think it's kind of obvious you like him."

I stared at her for a moment, before smiling sadly. "I suppose you, of all people, would recognize the signs."

"We women all can," Mai chastised playfully, "And look, I think Yami likes you too. He's kind of introverted about these things, but I don't think I remember Yami standing up for anyone as bravely as he did for you, particularly someone he's never even met."

I tried to stop myself from blushing. Yami did probably have an involuntary liking to me as I was his past lover, but still…it was just favoritism, like a child choosing a favorite pet or doll.

"Now," said Mai, "You ready to go back in? I think we're missing some of the good parts."

I couldn't help but smile truly that time. I nodded. "Alright."

**((After the Movie))**

POV: Yami

Well, I'm kind of glad that movie was over. I actually liked some parts of it; the lasting brother relationship was very touching.

Mai suggested going to the mall almost two seconds (record time!) after we left the movie theatre, saying Suzanna needed some new clothes if she was going to stay with me for a while as an excuse. Unfortunately, Joey, Tristan, Suzanna and I couldn't think of a good argument against that, so we headed downtown.

We arrived in the center of the food court, and Joey and Tristan immediately started toward a pizzeria, only to get lectured by the rest of us about already eating at the movies.

Serenity and Mai immediately grabbed Suzanna and headed toward a series of makeover and clothing shops, leaving Joey, Tristan and me alone. Without hesitation, we headed toward the game store.

After thoroughly exhausting our wallets and stuffing bags with new Duel Monster packs and the new editions of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, the girls returned…

I was speechless.

Suzanna was _beautiful_.

Her brown hair was layered with streaks of blond and was held back with a butterfly hair ornament, and she was wearing a jean jacket over a yellow flowered top, a blue skirt and high-heeled black boots.

_/Yami, you're drooling. Say something./_

Stupid mind link.

I shook my head a little as Suzanna sat next to me awkwardly.

"You…you look wonderful," I actually had trouble sounding confident.

Suzanna bowed her head shyly. "…thanks…"

"HEY, YAMI!"

I could almost hear the classic Jaws theme before I felt myself being glomped from behind.

Not _NOW_…!

POV: Sahara

A girl with short brown hair and bright blue eyes was cheerfully glomping Yami, talking excitedly.

"Oh, it's been too LONG, how ARE you, what's been HAPPENING…"

"Hello, Tea," Yami struggled to breath.

Tea then let go of Yami and stopped talking excitedly as her eyes fell on me.

"Oh…and who's _this_?" she asked neutrally.

"This is Suzanna," Tristan introduced me, "She's staying with Yami until…OW!"

Serenity had poked him in the ribs.

"She's staying with Yami?" her voice became oddly cold, "I see…"

She looked straight into my eyes, her eyes blazing with obvious hatred. I looked back reproachfully.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tea," I greeted in a pleasant tone.

"Likewise, I'm sure," Tea's voice contrasted well with mine, being thoroughly icy.

Tea grinned at the others, before saying, "Well, I've got to be going, so…SEE YEA LATER!"

She hugged Yami quickly, shot me a dangerous glare, and then darted off.

I watched her leave. That girl's jealousy will definitely be a problem, but I'm not going to let her ruin my time here as a mortal when it's so mucked up as it is.

WHAM!

Without warning, we were all thrown backward by an incredible force. I covered myself with an invisible shield to stop myself from whamming against the wall.

It was then that my goddess ears picked up a small, choked scream.

A child!

My eyes scanned through the smoke, and it was coming from a deep ashy hole where the corner of the food court had been.

A child was in there!

Without thinking, I jumped into the ashy hole, covered from mortal eyes by the smoke, and, using my magic, clawed the heavy debris aside to find the kid. He had long black hair and looked about ten years old.

I quickly picked him up and hoisted him onto my back, before climbing out of the hole to try and find the others.

POV: Yami

I looked up to see a huge hole where the corner of the food court had been, ashy and broken.

I heard murmurs around me like "What was it?" "Are we under attack?" and "A bomb, I can't believe it!"

Joey helped me up, and Tristan, Serenity and Mai soon joined us.

"Suzanna?" I called, seeing she wasn't there.

I heard a cough, and through the smoke she came, carrying a boy on her back.

"Here!" she said weakly.

We helped her with the boy, and as I took him off her back, I recognized him.

"It's Mokuba!"

"Kaiba's brother?" asked Joey.

Mokuba opened his eyes. "What…happened? All I remember is being trapped and calling for help…"

"Suzanna must have saved you," Serenity told him.

It was then that a voice called, "Mokuba! Mokuba!"

"That's Seto!" Mokuba realized, before calling, "I'm over here, big brother!"

Kaiba appeared through the smoke and rushed over to his brother.

"Tell me, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Mokuba told him, "Thanks to Suzanna."

"Suzanna, huh?" Kaiba looked at her with his classic cold glare.

Suzanna nodded. "That's what I'm known as."

"And what are you asking for in return?" snapped Kaiba.

"Nothing at all, Seto Kaiba," Suzanna said in a oddly casual tone, "I keep a special eye out for children, you could say. I need no payment, as it is my profession. I wouldn't ask you to pay me for your being head of KaibaCorp, so you can expect I will not ask you to do the opposite."

Kaiba eyed Suzanna for a moment in subtle silence, before he smirked.

"Well, aren't you just a goddess," he said coolly.

Suzanna smiled subtly in return.

"Well, aren't you just a gentleman," she replied in a similar tone.

But I barely heard her, for strange words echoed through my head in response to Kaiba's…words that belonged to neither Yugi nor me…

_**((Flashback))**_

"_**my sister, who you know as Suzu, is the long forgotten goddess of innocence, Sahara…"**_

_**((End))**_

I held my head as things came back into focus.

_/What was that, Yami/_ asked Yugi.

_/I…I don't know, Yugi…it must have been a flashback…/_

_/And there are those names in your dream…/_ Yugi pointed out, _/Suzu and Sahara./_

_/They must be the same person/_ I realized, _/And do you find it a coincidence that I started to remember this person right before this happened? Bombs don't come from nowhere…/_

_/But what about Suzanna/_ Yugi asked, _/ She also came around the same time./_

_/No, she's trying to help me find out about my past/_ I reminded him, _/She already told me she doesn't know anything./_

There was a slight silence.

_/You seem confident she's telling the truth, Yami./_

I felt a surge of anger. _/What, you think she was lying to me/_

_/No, no! I just meant you're usually the one who is skeptical of people. You trust her more than most, and you've only just met her./_

I didn't know how to respond at first.

_/You're right/_ I finally admitted, _/You're right, I do trust her more than most…probably because she means more to me than most…but I barely know her…and yet, I feel like I've known her my whole life…/_

I let my sentence hang, feeling like a fool.

_/Gosh Yami, I didn't know you felt like that/_ Yugi said quietly.

I sighed mentally. _/I don't blame you. I don't even know how I feel myself./_


	6. Chapter Five: Marriage Undenied

_**ANAYAS-CREATER-** Unfortunately, I cannot review the chapter, but I really like it and can't wait for more! And his name's Khayer. (winks) I won't tell you if you're right or not, but this chappie will have the answer anyway!_

_SGCred- Kaiba will have a bit to do with this, but in a few more chapters, along with one char I wish didn't have a larger role. (sticks her tongue out) Neway, poor you. (pouts) I hate exams too, I just had 'em._

_Rainbow Guardian Angel- Always nice to update a fic I haven't updated in a while! (grins) And being a fangirl is NEVER wrong. BROTHER? (raises an eyeborw) o...k..._

_ZeldaAlly- do you know how nice it was to see you reviwed this? (glomps you) Thankies! And I hope this was quick for you!_

_DarkMousyLover- Thank you so much, except for that Shadow Realm part...! (hides behind Yugi) And I'm in love with the same things! I swear, I find a new clone everyday, lol._

_RobinIV- What can I say? I think Mai's cool too. And I, as the authoress, had to miss updating it. (winks)_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Marriage Undenied**

POV: Sahara

Yami, Joey, Tristan, Serenity and I were currently driving back toward Domino in Mai's purple car, as walking home seemed a bit dangerous considering what happened at the mall.

Well, it was definitely illuminating to see Seito's present form…he's a jerk. But his little brother I remember well…I visited him once when he was little. Then again, I remember every child I've visited as a goddess.

I looked out at the sea absently, barely recognizing that it had started to rain.

Mokuba was his name. Poor boy…he was one of those I pitied the most out of all the children I visited. Orphaned at his age, with no one but his big brother…I know how it felt. And so kind-hearted, too…like most children, the pains of the world have not quite damaged him yet.

Kaiba is one of them; he's almost consumed by pride and ambition already. And no matter how much kindness and jokes I see in Joey, I could see those he cared about have backstabbed and betrayed him. In Serenity I could see longing; in Tristan I could see heartbreak; in Mai I could see fear.

But Yami…whenever I looked at him, I could see something I've never seen before. It was a strange mix of loneliness, naivety and darkness, and now that I thought about it, it was ever so similar to how I felt without him.

POV: Yami

"We're here, Yami," said Mai as she stopped in front of the Game Shop.

I jumped out of the car and ran around the other side to help Suzanna out.

I opened the door for her; I caught her shy smile as she got out and couldn't help but grin. We waved goodbye to Mai and the others as they drove away, before we ran inside to escape the downpour.

Suzanna went into the living room as I went into the kitchen. I heard the news turn on as I prepared some hot chocolate. I poured it into two separate cups, and then headed into the living room.

I put the hot chocolate on the table in front of her, before draping a blanket on her shoulders.

"You should get warm," I told her quietly.

Suzanna smiled. "Thank you," she whispered, picking up her cup and drinking some cocoa.

I picked up my own and drank it as the news reporter started a Breaking News story.

"_**Today there was an explosion in the middle of the food court at the Domino Shopping Center. No people were killed, but the younger brother of the CEO of KaibaCorp was rescued from the ruins and is now in the hospital to check for any problems. The person who saved Mokuba Kaiba from the ruins did not stay long, but it is assumed he was not a rescue agent."**_

I snorted. "_He_? That news reporter needs to check the gender on this one. And about being a rescue agent…NO DUH, otherwise you would've been able to interview him no problem."

Suzanna giggled. "Well, the reporter likely wasn't there."

I chuckled. "Whatever. But I still think he should get his facts checked and keep them to the point."

"**_Experts now believe that the explosion might have been the work of a terrorist bomb, although there was no sign of a bomb at the explosion. No one has assumed responsibility and no suspects have been named. Citizens are asked to_** **_keep their wits about them and report any suspicious behavior to the proper authorities."_**

"If it's not a bomb, what could it have been, I wonder?" I said to myself.

Suzanna shifted awkwardly in her seat, and I could've sworn I heard her mutter something.

"Hmm?" I asked, "What did you say, Suzanna?"

Suzanna shook her head. "It's nothing."

There was a slight pause in which we drank our hot chocolate. Then I finally decided to speak.

"What you did today was very noble."

Suzanna looked at me in surprise. "What?"

"Your saving Mokuba," I elaborated, "That was very brave of you."

Suzanna looked down in slight embarrassment. "I…have a fondness for children."

"So you told Kaiba," I said with a smile, "I could tell he was grateful…if you know him for a long time like I have, you can see hidden emotions like that from him."

POV: Sahara

I felt sheepish. "Well…I'm glad I could help."

Yami moved closer to me and put his arms around me to keep me warmer.

"I'm glad you're here with us," he whispered, his eyes locked with mine.

I felt my cheeks go red. My heart was beating against my ribcage like a huge drum. Ra, why does Yami have to have such handsome eyes?

Was he going to kiss me? Did he feel the confused love that I felt when I knew him as a blind-deaf girl? Did he really know what he was doing? Could he…?

All of my questions and the whole atmosphere we had slowly been building up came crashing down on us in a big BOOM!

The ceiling collapsed down on top of us, burying us in wood, broken pipes and other debris.

My goddess powers kicked in to save me, but I found Yami buried underneath the rubble.

"_YAMI_!" I screamed.

I threw away some of the wreckage away until I finally found him.

"Yami."

I pulled his unconscious form in my lap. I could feel that he was alright, but I still was worried.

_What happened…?_

My eyes narrowed in realization.

"Khayer, appear."

My cousin appeared, god form and all, out of the darkness and in front of me.

He smirked at me spitefully.

"Glad to know you can recognize my artistic flair of pain and destruction," he sneered, "I do hope the Pharaoh is hurt badly."

"SHUT UP!" I roared, "What in the seven hells do you think you're doing here, Khayer?"

My cousin laughed. "You came here against the contract! You were never to return to this world, and when I find you, you're deceiving your past lover into loving you again! What did you expect me to do, sit back and watch?"

"You could leave me alone!" I snapped, "My life has nothing to do with you!"

"On the contrary," whispered Khayer, "Your life has everything to do with me…and I have the proof right here."

He made a scroll appear out of the darkness, and he showed it to me.

"It's the marriage contract!" I realized, "My father fought against that-"

"And he failed," Khayer said with relish, "Look at the bottom."

I stared at the parchment. On the bottom was the seal of Ma'at.

_It was accepted._

"_No_…" I whispered.

"Now you belong to me, dear Sahara," Khayer whispered, "The marriage plans have already been arranged. In one god day, you shall be my bride, and I intend to have heirs by the third."

I didn't know what to say at first, but at those words, I felt a surge of anger.

"Any children we might have will be staying with me and away from you!" I spat, "I rule over youth and innocence."

"Do you really think once we're married that either you or our children could be considered _free_?" Khayer whispered, "Marriage in the God World gives me all rights to you and our children…so you are my property. I can torture, beat or rape you, and it'd be perfectly legal."

"_NO_!" I shouted.

"_YES_!" Khayer mocked, "You're mine by tomorrow, Sahara. You have three mortal hours until you will be expected home."

"I won't come!" I protested.

"Oh, I think you will," Khayer hissed, "You forget…I have the power."

"What should I be afraid of from _you_?" I snarled, "You're nothing but a filthy coward!"

"Really?" asked Khayer, "Those bombs were enough to give me all the power I need to destroy you. These pathetic mortals think that they're from terrorists, right? Well, I could always have a random terrorist organization claim responsibility, and just like their allies, Yami's country will declare war…and I'll make sure your friends are on the _front lines_ of battle."

I went white. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Khayer scorned, "You have nothing on me, and I have everything on you. It's your choice: come home to become my bride for all eternity, or watch your Pharaoh lover die before your eyes."

I looked down at Yami in my lap. I couldn't let anything happen to him…even if he doesn't remember I can't let him die.

I looked at Khayer. "I'll…I'll do it."

"I knew you'd see things my way," Khayer smirked, "I'll expect you home in three mortal hours…"

And with that, he vanished into the darkness.

I held Yami close to me, as the tears I thought I'd never shed again fell down my cheeks.

POV: Third Person

Sahara did not notice the hawk perched on a lamppost on the street corner, who looked at the two carefully before taking off from his roost and disappeared in a gust of wind.


	7. Chapter Six: Goodbye Forever?

**Reviews from the Peanut Gallery**

_**SukiLuvsAnime**- Glad you enjoyed it! It's always nice to hear praise._

_**SGCred- **Yeah, Khayer is evil. I won't say anything about the char I didn't want having a bigger role, but that char will come out big next chapter. AndI'll let you wonderwith the hawk for one more chapter too! (winks) _

_**ANAYAS-CREATOR-** Gods are more fun to torture as it shall never end, but as a God, Khayer does have a bit more control that us. And he controls sin and evil, so he might enjoy that kind of torture...but would that make it torture? (feels dizzy) AAAAAHHHHH! I shall not ponder this further._

_**RobinIV-** Thank you! I tried my best with the chars; I had to watch a lot of reruns over again to figure out what Sahara could see in each of them. And the hawk is not just part of the scenary, I'll just say that._

_**ZeldaAlly-** Yugi hasn't really said much, yeah, but he's going to have more of an interaction with Yami and the others around next chapter (GAWD, everything is next chapter instead of this one! ugh.) Thanks for the cookie! (eats it) Yum._

_**ice suzaku-** Thankies much, and I promise, I'll update as soon as I can!_

_**Rainbow Guardian Angel-** Being insane is GOOD, Mizumi. (winks) And yeah, it sucks when a slimeball god wants you for his wife. (rolls eyes) AND CHOCOLATE IS GOD'S BLESSING! (shoves some down her throat and bounces off the walls)_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Six: Goodbye Forever?**

POV: Sahara

It was then, as I held Yami close to my chest and cried my eyes out, that I heard a beeping of a car horn.

I looked up to see a very familiar purple car, and a second later, the doors opened to reveal two very familiar people.

"Mai," I whispered, "Joey…"

"Are you alright?" asked Mai.

"What happened to Yami?" Joey said, immediately taking his wrist and trying to find a pulse.

"He's alive," I assured him faintly, "The roof fell in. I didn't get hurt, but Yami's out cold…"

"C'mon," said Joey, "We've got to get some help for Yami. My house is closest, that's why Mai and I saw the flames."

"Do you really think it's safe, Joey?" Mai asked, making it sound almost like a reminder.

"Dad won't be home until midnight," Joey told her, "We won't have to worry about him…at least for now."

I helped Joey hoist Yami onto his back, and we loaded ourselves all into Mai's car.

POV: Joey

When we got to my house, we settled Yami down on the couch and Serenity got a blanket from the closet upstairs to cover him.

Suzanna immediately sat down next to him on the couch, looking down at him. Her face was almost in shadow, but I knew her eyes were sad.

About three minutes later, Yami's eyes opened. "Ugh…"

The first thing he saw was Suzanna. He smiled at her.

"Suzanna…"

She smiled back at him, before helping him sit up.

"You feeling okay, man?" I asked him.

Yami held his head and gave me a weak smirk. "I feel like I got hit in the head with an old pipe, but otherwise yes."

Suzanna coached him to lie down, and put a wet towel on his forehead.

"But what happened…?" he whispered.

"We don't know," said Mai, "The cops are just arriving at the scene, I bet."

"It probably was another bomb," Serenity sighed.

I was going to respond, but Suzanna interrupted.

"It never was a bomb."

We all turned to stare at her; Suzanna's dark blue eyes were filled with tears, but they were not tears of sadness: they were tears of fury.

"It was my cousin blackmailing me to come home," Suzanna said coldly.

"Your cousin?" Yami repeated, his eyes narrowing.

She nodded. "He's possessive of me, right? Well now, thanks to his marriage contract, I'm his property."

"Whoa, whoa, back up," said Mai, "_Marriage_ contract?"

Suzanna nodded again. "I'm his property for all eternity. He can torture, beat or rape me, and it will be perfectly legal. I have no rights, and neither will the children he forces me to bear."

I felt my eyes narrow. Father may beat me sometimes, but at least he only did it when he was drunk and Serenity was spared…but _Suzanna_? She's one of the kindest people I've ever known!

POV: Yami

I felt hatred I had never known before coarse through my veins. How _dare_ he even think of hurting Suzanna like that!

"That's not fair!" Serenity cried, "Is Egypt really that bad?"

Suzanna's eyes went into shadow once more, but I was close enough to her to see that she looked regretful.

"I'm afraid, my friends… that I've lied to you all," she whispered, "I was not born in Egypt. I was not even born in this dimension."

"_What_?" I could barely speak.

I looked at her closely. "You…were born in another _dimension_?"

Suzanna nodded. "I have lived in your world before, though…I grew up in it. But Khayer…my cousin…did not like this. So he and his father Seth, who was playing as my mortal father at the time, made a marriage contract, saying I'd marry Khayer when the time was right…and now the contract is ruled legal."

Something stirred in my memory.

"Seth?" I asked, my eyes wide, "As in…the _god_ Seth?"

Everyone else was staring at Suzanna too at those words…and then slowly, Suzanna smiled grimly.

"You figured it out, Yami," she whispered, "My uncle is the god Seth. My cousin Khayer is his son. And that makes me…a goddess."

Suzanna held her hands out in front of her; white light surrounded her. Her hair flew up as if it was being blown upwards by a large gust of wind, and she started chanting words.

**"_Now I have a human form,_**

_**Now show me how I was born,**_

_**I'm done here, my task is done,**_

_**Though my battle's still not won,**_

_**I'm no mortal, they live less,**_

_**I am Sahara, innocent goddess!"**_

White fur appeared on her skin, cat paws replaced her long-fingered hands, white cat ears found a place in her brown hair, she had a little pink nose partnered with some brown whiskers and a white tail was clearly visible. But the eye and hair color were still clearly the same as the girl I thought I knew.

I stared at her. Even if she could be called strange-looking by any human, she had other-worldly beauty that could rival any human girl.

My mind felt as if it had gone blank.

_Sahara_…?

POV: Sahara

No one spoke. I looked up at the clock on the wall. Already my time on Earth had been decreased to a precious thirty minutes. But time on Earth always seems shorter to one who has lived in the God World.

It was then that a knock came at the door.

Joey rushed over, and was about to call, "Who is it?", but I told him, "Go on and open it. It's a friend of yours."

Joey blinked at me, but opened the door.

Tea came running into the room, and screamed when she saw Yami lying on the couch.

"YAMI? YAMI, ARE YOU OKAY?"

"I'm fine," Yami assured her, but she was checking his pulse and his temperature and everything else she could think of.

I could almost feel my heart breaking. I had suspected Yami might not remember me even after all this…but it looks like Tea will be right there to love him instead.

"He is alright, Tea, you have naught to fear," I whispered, my eyes downcast.

For the first time, Tea looked at me. She was ready with a glare and a comeback for "Suzanna," but when she saw me in the form I was in, she seemed almost speechless.

POV: Tea

"What…who _are_ you?" I stammered

"My name is Sahara," she told me, her face in shadow, "But you first met me as Suzanna."

At those words, I was ready to snap at her to stay away from Yami, but then I noticed the tears falling down her cheeks.

POV: Sahara

I walked slowly over to Yami, and we made eye contact, intense scarlet on teared-up blue.

"I am sorry for lying to you," I whispered, "If things were different, you would've never had to deal with me or the consequences of my being here."

Yami looked ready to speak, but I stopped him.

"Do not argue," I said quietly, "It will only make things more difficult…"

I then looked at Tea.

"Tea…look after Yami for me, please…I know…" it took everything in me to whisper, "I know you will be happy together…"

I looked back again at Yami. "Goodbye forever, my Pharaoh. Forget me as you have in the past…"

Yami's eyes widened in realization. "Sahara-"

But I vanished before I could hear the rest of his words.

POV: Yami

I stared at the spot where she had stood.

"Sahara…no…" I whispered, my eyes filling up with tears I had not known for five centuries.

"Yami? Yami, are you okay?"

I looked up into Tea's worried eyes.

I stood up. "I have to go after her. I lost her once, and I refuse to lose her again."


	8. Chapter Seven: A Future Unwilling

**Reviews from the Peanut Gallery:**

_**SukiLovesAnime:** Thank you kindly! I'm glad you enjoy it so much._

_**ANAYAS-CREATER: **You're very, very welcome. I can't wait 'til you update again, I am liking it lots. (grins)_

_**SGCred: **Yeah...poor Yami-kun, ne? (cries herself) And we can always be optimistic, can't we? And don't worry, he'll see her again.  
_

_**Rainbow Guardian Angel:** (grins evilly) Tea DOES deserve to die a painful death... (burns Tea with Mizumi) Ah...there's too much evil in the world, ain't there? At least we can torture all of it in various ways. And Yugi will be coming out more, don't you worry!  
_

_**RobinIV:** I know, I know... I really hate doing things like this. But Atem will get back to her!_

_**ZeldaAlly: **I agree with Ally 100 percent. (grins evilly) I know I haven't updated this in a long time, and I'm very sorry...and sadly I had to delete Foxy Charms as all the chapters I've worked on are wiped clean thanks to my STUPID DAD! (growls angrilly)_

_**ice suzaku:** Sad, but true...evilness is a must in a fanfic. And you'd be surprised how often I have trouble updating... (winks)_****

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**  
** A Future Unwilling**

POV: Sahara

I appeared in the center of my father's throne room, and there waiting were my parents, Isis and Osirus.

"Sahara!" Mother ran over and embraced me, "Sunshine, we were so worried about you…"

"Well, likely if I'd told you I was leaving, you would've stopped me," I said coldly, pulling out of my mother's arms.

"Sahara, you _know_ you weren't supposed to leave the God World," Father replied, "You knew you were breaking the rules…why now of all times to go?"

"For _love_!" I shouted, "Why didn't you stop the marriage contract? Why did you let this happen? You know I hate Khayer with everything in me!"

"I tried, darling," Osirus whispered, "But I couldn't override it. The final decision of Ma'at cannot be ignored."

"FUCK MA'AT'S DECISION!" I swore, tears streaming down my face, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! NOW I HAVE TO MARRY THE BASTARD WHO TOOK ME AWAY FROM ATEM TWICE IN ONE LIFETIME! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS, NEVER!"

And with those words, I ran out of the hall and to my room.

POV: Khayer

"Having family problems?" I asked silkily as I flew down from the rafters where I had been hiding.

Osirus tried not to glare at me as I was still his flesh and blood, but I could see the true hatred in his eyes. "What have you done to my daughter?"

I smirked evilly. "I am only claiming what is mine, fool…it's not my fault Atem was reincarnated."

"You know as well as I do that Sahara is the Goddess of Innocence," Osirus whispered coldly, "_What have you done_?"

My smirk broadened. "Sahara and I made a deal…if she came home, then I'd leave her friends alone…and as we made that pact, I planted a seed of my power into her. Now with each passing second, her heart will become darker and darker…until the only thing that can satisfy her lust for darkness is me."

Isis looked ready to tear me apart (which was rather amusing to watch), but Osirus held her back.

"Your daughter's _mine_, Osirus," I hissed, "And soon…her innocence will be gone in two ways: as a wife and as a goddess…"

And with that, I vanished.

POV: Sahara

I ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. Khayer may have taken me away, but at least I can still make sure Atem's alright…

"Leila? Leila, can you show me-?"

I stopped in my tracks.

My long mirror was shattered into a million pieces, small bits of green and red magic fusing out of the glass.

"_LEILA_!" I screamed.

I ran over to the shattered glass, trying to find some trace of my only friend for so long…

"Your little friend's gone, Sahara."

I whirled around to become face-to-face with Khayer.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I said you'd stay in the God World, and you _will_," Khayer smirked, "Now you won't have any temptation to leave or any distraction from being my whore…I mean _wife_," he added evilly.

I feel hatred within me that I'd never known before. I wanted to see him die a thousand mortal deaths…yes…dead in a sea of blood…

I fazed out of these thoughts, feeling horrified. _'What's happening to me?'_

"Feeling your new dark heart, my dear?" Khayer asked coolly, "It's going to get worse. Soon…the only thing you'll be able to turn to is me…"

He struck me, and I felt myself fall to the ground.

"Get up," Khayer mocked me, "Get up and show me your dark heart…"

I felt my hand reach for a shattered piece of glass…ready to stab him…ready to make him suffer as I have…

I clenched my reaching hand into a fist. _'No…I won't let this control me…I won't be controlled…I'm not evil…I'll never be evil…'_

Khayer laughed derisively. "You won't be able to fight it forever, dear…better get downstairs and get dressed…the wedding will begin soon."

* * *

POV: Joey

Everyone was in shock. Yami was breathing hard, his eyes darting around the room at each of us.

"Don't just _stand_ there!" Yami yelled at us, "We've got to find someway to rescue her!"

There was a silence.

"But, Yami," I spoke first, "What can _we_ do?"

"SOMETHING!" Yami yelled, "ANYTHING! I can't lose her again! I won't!"

"Yami, calm down-" Serenity tried to speak.

"CALM DOWN? _CALM DOWN?_ SAHARA'S GONE!"

"Yami," Mai pushed him onto the couch and forced him to look at her, "If you want to help Sahara, then you'll listen to me. There's no way we could find her on our own. We don't have magic…we've got nothing that could lead us to her."

Yami looked up at Mai for a moment, before completely losing it and starting to sob.

"Yami…" Tea put a hand on his shoulder, but Yami shoved her away.

"_Sahara_…" he moaned, "I failed you again, Sahara…I'm _sorry_…I'm so _sorry_…"

I didn't know what Yami meant, but I felt awful seeing him this way.

It was then that someone knocked at the door.

I sighed, before standing up and going over to the door.

When I opened it, I blinked in surprise.

"Mokuba? Kaiba? What are you guys doing here?"

"Is Yami okay?" asked Mokuba, "Seto and I heard about what happened at the Game Shop, so…"

The two brothers came in, and the younger of the two went over to the crying Pharaoh.

"Yami?" Mokuba said tentatively, "Yami, are you okay?"

But Yami kept on crying.

Kaiba looked pretty surprised with Yami's reaction to all this. Mokuba, however, looked up at me worriedly.

"What happened to Sahara?" he whispered.

"How'd you know?" Serenity and I said together in shock.

"Sahara was assigned to watch over me when Seto and I lived at the orphanage," Mokuba explained, "You could say she was my guardian angel for a while. She told me about her old Pharaoh lover named Atem and that she knew how it felt to only have an older brother for company…" he frowned, "But she had it much worse than me… at least I didn't have a cousin controlling her…"

"I am going to make Khayer suffer for this," Yami growled, "He will regret this…I swear by my royal blood, he shall pay…"

"First, Yami, you've got to calm down," Tea tried to sooth him, "Then we can maybe think of a plan."

"I doubt you would be able to figure out everything you needed in time on your own," said a voice.

A falcon flew through the door the Kaiba brothers had not yet closed, and perched itself promptly on the coffee table in front of Yami.

POV: Atem

I stared at the falcon for a moment. Then I smiled in relief.

"Horus! Am I glad to see you."

There was a gust of wind, and then Horus stood on top of the coffee table in the falcon's place. He jumped down with a smile.

"I've missed you too, Atem," he replied.

"Horus?" Serenity gasped, "Isn't he an Egyptian God too?"

"The son of Osirus," Tea agreed, her eyes wide, "Nephew to Seth…but that means…that means you're…"

"Sahara's brother," Horus finished for her with a solemn nod, "And if we don't work quickly, Sahara will be chained forever to Khayer…in more than one way."

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Too much to explain right now," Horus replied, "But I need your help. The only way we'll be able to stop the marriage between her and Khayer is if we can find a weakness in the marriage contract…otherwise, there'll be no way to save Sahara."

And to everyone's surprise, Kaiba spoke up.

"Your sister saved Mokuba's life," he growled, "And as I officially despise owing someone a favor, I'll examine the contract for any flaws…hell, I even put KaibaCorp's top lawyer Johnson out of business. If you have it with you right now, the examination will be immediate."

Horus made it appear in his hand, and he handed it to the CEO.

Kaiba's eyes went down the page in straight lines, before rereading it and rereading it again.

"Is there another pact binding your sister to this _'God World?'_" asked Kaiba.

Horus nodded. "Why?"

"Because if we can find a weakness there, then we'll have won," Kaiba replied, "This contract is reliant on that document. If Sahara isn't a Goddess bound to the God World, then Khayer can't marry her. Can I see the pact, if you please?"

Horus made it appear out of thin air and then handed it to Kaiba, who read only the first line before smirking broadly.

"Found it," he told them, "The contract says the following: _'Sahara, Goddess of Children and daughter of Osirus shall prosper on earth as a mortal girl with no sight nor hearing, and return home when deemed appropriate by her father, to live the rest of her immortality in **the world of her parents**.'_"

"And…?" I said impatiently.

Then it hit me hard, like a mallet on one of those toy Whack-a-Moles.

My eyes widened. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? Osirus and Isis were first born into the mortal world to rule Egypt…therefore the contract could say either she'd return to the world they were born in _OR _the world in which they're living now!"

Horus grinned. "Perfect…now all we need to do is get to the God World and stop the marriage…"

Then he frowned. "But it's very dangerous for mortals to enter the God World…your very soul is at risk."

"I don't care," I whispered, new determined fire in my eyes, "I will not let Sahara down again after everything she's done just to see me again."

"Well, if Yami's going, I'm going," Joey smirked.

"Me too," nodded Tea, "There's no way we'll let you go alone."

Again, Kaiba surprised everyone and said, "I'll go too."

I stared at Kaiba curiously, and he glared back at me.

"I'm only doing this for Mokuba," he snapped.

But in my heart, I could almost hear Seito's voice replying to me instead.

I smirked at him. "Thanks, Kaiba."

"Is your other half going or staying, Pharaoh?" Horus asked suddenly.

I blinked. "What?"

"That's how it is," Horus replied sheepishly, "Only mortal souls go into the God World…so you and Yugi would be separate."

_/So Yugi/_ I used the mind-link.

_/No way am I going to let you go without me/ _my Hikari replied, _/Count me in./_

"He's coming," I told Horus.

"Very well," Horus replied, before raising his hands and starting to chant.

"_**To the God World do we go**_

_**To fight against a family foe.**_

_**Now with mortals and a god**_

_**A tragedy will end quite odd;**_

_**Now open the hidden door**_

_**To go, let me chant no more!"**_

And with a black flash of light, the god vanished and the four mortals fell onto the ground in a dead heap.


	9. Chapter Eight: Stay Out of the Darkness

**_Reviews from the Peanut Gallery:_**

_**SukiLovesAnime**- That's always nice to know. (smiles) And I try to update as much as I can._

_**ZeldaAlly**- That's tremendously kind of you! And I feel bad about Foxy Charms myself...it was gonna be so cool. (cries)_

_**SGCred**- Hopefully Atem's love will be enough... and yeah, it was Horus. (cuddles Simba fondly) Yugi was pleased to see he was in this chapter more than the others._

_**Rainbow Guardian Angel**- Yeah, Kaiba's intellect is often quite useful. And of course you can torment Khaey; I think you might want to do so much more after reading this chappie._

_**ANAYAS-CREATER**- I read the chapter! (grins broadly) Need I tell you I love your fic? Me wuv Sakura and Kaiba! (glomps the two of them) And we can always keep our hopes up.  
_

_**RobinIV**- (throws a party for the Yu-Gi-Oh crew) Me is also glad for them. (dances around the room)_

_**Sacred Goddess**- Wow, thanks. (blushes) And I had hoped the twist would be interesting to read. (smiles) I also hope you like this next chappie.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Eight:**  
** Stay Out of the Darkness**

POV: Sahara

In the seamstress's room, I looked into the mirror to see the dress that had been made for me.

It had no sleeves and was made of white silk, almost like a queen would have back in Egypt. But I felt like no queen; I felt like a monster.

"Sunshine?" my mother said in concern, "Sunshine, you haven't said a word. Are you alright?"

"What do _you_ think?" I snapped.

I clapped a hand to my mouth, realizing what I had said. "Mom, I'm sorry, I-"

Mother brought me into her arms. "I know, Sunshine, I know. Khayer told us…" her voice sounded cold, "But I promise you, your father and I will try to find a way to reverse it."

I glared. "Well, your and Father's attempts haven't been much to boast about, have they?"

I clapped a hand to my mouth again. How can I be saying such things? Khayer, what the hell have you done to me?

Mother touched my cheek.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, darling," she whispered, "But you've been through hard things before, haven't you? Whatever you do, there are two things you must not lose."

"What?" I asked.

"Hope and bravery," she told me firmly, "When you go down the aisle, be brave. Don't let your dark side come out without a real fight, and be hopeful that the light will welcome you back with loving arms."

I frowned as the seamstress handed me a bouquet of flowers and put a veil over my head.

"It's almost time, Sunshine," Mother whispered, "And remember; be brave and have hope."

* * *

POV: Atem

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a golden palace, with mysterious rafters and a golden throne on a raised area in the back.

It looked so much like my palace back in Egypt.

"Whoa," muttered Joey, his eyes wide, "This place is _huge_…"

"Who's palace is this?" asked my Hikari, who was now standing beside me.

"My father's," replied Horus, "This is really the center of the God World…most guests come here first. No one really knows why…some say it's so Osirus can circulate through guests and intruders, but then again, he's not exactly here, is he?"

"Where is he?" I inquired.

Horus frowned. "I'm not sure…time here is different…"

He turned around to look at the door, which was adorned with pillars, to see the sunset.

"He's at the wedding!" Horus realized in panic, "Khayer will marry Sahara by nightfall!"

"Then we've got to get to that wedding and stop it!" I said.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but it looks like we've got company," Kaiba snapped.

Everyone turned, to see a bunch of fiend Duel Monsters flying at them. They surrounded the group barely putting up a fight.

"Khayer," Horus scowled, "He must have been wary of me coming to the wedding…"

"What do we do?" Tea asked.

Almost as a reflex, Kaiba activated his Duel-disk, and I did the same.

"I summon Dark Magician!" I shouted.

"And I summon Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba yelled.

Joey activated his Duel-disk, and Tea activated a new Duel-disk on her arm.

"I summon Red Eyes Black Dragon!" cried Joey.

"And I summon Dark Magician Girl!" Tea screamed.

Our monsters fought against the fiends, clearing our path and helping us through.

"I should warn you," Horus tried to talk over the noise as we ran, "When mortals summon a Duel Monster, they become linked with their monsters! You better watch your monsters carefully."

It was then a fiend monster came out of nowhere and started an attack for the Dark Magician. I tried to figure out to save my Dark Magician; I found none. I froze as the attack came right for me and my Duel Monster…

A swarm of Kuriboh came in front of me and the Dark Magician, blocking the attack.

I stared at Yugi, who had activated a Duel-disk of his own and played Kuriboh and the Multiply magic card.

"You okay, Yami?" asked Yugi.

"I'm fine," I assured him, "Thanks."

The multiplying Kuriboh blocked all the other fiend monsters, and due to their special ability, when they came on contact, they self-destructed.

Yugi's hand flew to his heart and he panted when his Kuriboh self-destructed, but he still smiled weakly and said, "We won. Now onto that wedding!"

* * *

POV: Sahara

I heard the organ playing in the background, as the bridesmaids and the flower girl went down the aisle…then I knew it was my turn.

The doors opened, and I carefully stepped into the room. My head was down, looking at the red carpet rather than Khayer smirking down at me.

But then my mother's words came back to me… 

'_Be brave and have hope.'_

I slowly raised my head to coldly glare at Khayer as I joined him on the dais. 

Khayer smirked at me, and as the priest spoke the marriage ceremony, I saw him look down my body and lick his lips. My eyes narrowed dangerously.

POV: Third Person

The ceremony seemed to last forever.

Isis looked at Osirus from their private box up in the rafters, where all the higher-classed gods sat.

"Osirus…this can't happen…it _can't_…there must be some way-"

Osirus shook his head quietly to tell her to stop. "There's nothing we can do."

"But she can't marry him-"

"She can and she has to," Osirus interrupted sadly.

Isis looked back down at her daughter on the dais with Khayer, tears filling her eyes.

"My Sunshine…"

POV: Sahara

The priest then uttered in a bored tone, "If anyone has any objection to why these two should not be placed in harmonic unity, speak now or forever hold your peace."

'_Someone…anyone…say something…'_ I pleaded, _'I don't care whether or not you have legal evidence, just stop this wedding…please…'_

But no one spoke.

"Then by the power vested in me," the priest started to end the ceremony.

I felt tears fall down my face. Khayer's smirk broadened.

"I now pronounce these two husband and-"

BANG!

The door was slammed open, and in came my brother Horus and…

I stared.

"Sahara!" Atem ran over to me.

I was speechless. I couldn't move.

But Khayer intervened.

"Pharaoh Atem?" he roared, and the whole room seemed to tremble in fear.

Atem glared at Khayer. "That's my name, Khayer. Don't wear it out."

My eyes widened. He…remembered…? But how can this be?

Atem took my hand. "Sahara…you don't have to marry him."

"I have no choice," I whispered.

"Yes, you do," he insisted, "The marriage contract is invalid."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"YOU FILTHY LIAR!" Khayer snarled, looking ready to kill Atem on the spot.

"It's the truth," Horus stepped forward, "With help from our own legal expert here," he nodded to Kaiba, "We found a fatal flaw in the marriage contract. I relies on Sahara being a goddess bound to the God World, which is what your father's contract refers to…but there's a contradiction in there I think you might want to hear."

"And what's that, Horus?" spat Khayer.

"'_Grow up in the world of her parents,'_" Horus replied with a smirk, "My parents were born first as mortals."

The whole crowd started whispering furiously. Khayer's eyes widened in fury.

"This…this can't be!"

"It is," said Horus, "This means there are two ways the contract could be interpreted…therefore, it could be claimed invalid."

I stared at Atem for a moment, before running into his arms, sobbing and laughing at the same time.

He kissed my cheeks, my forehead, my lips…my whole face. I snuggled deep into his arms, and straddled my hips with his.

Atem groaned, and then I realized what I had just done. I pulled out of his arms, stepping back, my eyes wide with horror.

"Sahara?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head wildly, trying to get myself to think straight, but all I could see was a bed and Atem and me together…

POV: Atem

Khayer laughed. "It looks like Sahara is feeling a little lustful…"

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Your precious Sahara is slowly becoming dark, Atem," Khayer replied with an evil smirk, "Her heart is becoming darker with each passing second. First it was anger…now it's lust."

My eyes widened in horror and fury. "You _bastard_!"

"It was Sahara who made the deal with me to keep you safe," Khayer mocked, "I was just making sure she had to run to me…she will have to, eventually…I'm the only one that shall satisfy her lust for darkness after she's completely consumed."

I was ready to tear him apart, but Yugi and Joey held me back.

It was then that goddess with a feathered dress flew down from the air.

"Ma'at," said Osirus, "What do you make of this?"

"Hmm," Ma'at thought a moment, "Well, the contract could be interpreted either way, to be frank…I can't really favor one over the other. But it may be best to have Khayer marry her…her darkness could hurt others if we tried to prevent it."

I finally pulled out of my friend's arms and growled, "Khayer…I'll make you a deal."

"And what's that?" Khayer asked.

I activated my Duel-disk. "Duel me, and whoever wins gets Sahara. But we're going to raise the stakes further than that. If I win, you'll release your hold on Sahara, and if you win…you get me and the Millennium Puzzle."

"Atem, NO!" Sahara screamed.

"Please don't, Yami!" Yugi pleaded.

Khayer smirked. "I accept your challenge, fool. Let's duel!"


End file.
